One Million Moms Admits Defeat on JC Penney/Ellen Boycott

An anti-gay group affiliated with the conservative Christian organization American Family Association recently announced that it was giving up on its attempt to get Ellen DeGeneres fired by boycotting JC Penney, Think Progress reported.

Last month, One Million Moms demanded that the department store can DeGeneres who was hired as the company's spokeswoman.

"Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families," the organization wrote on their website. "DeGeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store. The majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and choose to no longer shop there."

The group provided phone numbers to the clothing store and asked its supporters to call and request the comedian be fired. One Million Moms also said they would boycott JC Penney if DeGeneres was not let go.

But One Million Moms majorly failed in its attempt to fire DeGeneres as the retail store stood by the comedian and kept her as its spokeswoman.

The organization's director recently announced that One Million Moms would no longer focus on getting DeGeneres fired and is moving on to other issues, OneNewsNow.com reported.

"But we have heard back from so many of our members," Monica Cole said. "We have heard back from men and women -- not just moms -- saying they will no longer shop there at JC Penney, as long as Ellen DeGeneres is their spokesperson."

"Everyone works hard for their money, and they want to spend their money with companies that have the same values as them," she adds. "And JC Penney stated that Ellen DeGeneres shares the same values that they do. So obviously, it's not the same as Christians or conservatives, which is unfortunate [because] JC Penney was founded by a Christian man."

Perhaps the organization decided to "move on" due to the backlash it received from people who supported DeGeneres and JC Penney.

The U.K. newspaper, the Guardian, reported that a JC Penney employee said that the company "would prefer not to have" the type of shopper who would be offended by DeGeneres. The Guardian also notes that the retail store received several calls and emails supporting its decision to keep DeGeneres as its spokeswoman.

"Normally, I try not to pay attention to my haters -- but this time I'd like to talk about it, because my haters are my motivators," she said. "This organization doesn't think I should be the spokesperson because I'm gay. They wanted to get me fired, and I'm proud and happy to say that JC Penney stuck by their decision to make me their spokesperson. Which is great news for me because I also need some new crew socks. I'm really going to clean up with this discount."

DeGeneres read supportive comments that were posted on One Million Moms' Facebook page. One person wrote, "I am a Christian and part of a traditional family and I support Ellen and now JC Penney!!!!"

The American Family Association, parent group to One Millions Moms, has had at (at very best) a mixed record when it comes to much-ballyhooed boycotts. The AFA's list of boycotted companies reads like a Fortune 500 list. The two affiliated groups have boycotted a number of companies for various reasons, ranging from pornography, pro-choice activism, same-sex partner employee benefits and more. In the past the groups have boycotted Abercrombie & Fitch, Burger King, Crest, Pampers and a host of other businesses. These groups, among others, were singled for their perceived gay friendliness: Calvin Klein, Ford, Old Navy, IKEA, Walt Disney and PepsiCo.

Recently, One Million Moms lead another failed boycott against Archie Comics when it published a comic that featured a same-sex marriage. The group sent Toys 'R' Us a letter and asked the company to pull the comic from its shelves.

"Children are now being exposed to same-sex marriage in your toy store," the open letter stated. "A trip to the toy store turns into a premature discussion on sexual orientation and is completely uncalled for. Toys 'R' Us should be more responsible in the products they carry."

Nevertheless, activists and comic enthusiasts celebrated the comic when it hit newsstands in January and Archie Comic's co-CEO responded to One Million Moms in a statement.

"We stand by Life with Archie #16. As I've said before, Riverdale is a safe, welcoming place that does not judge anyone," John Goldwater said. "It's an idealized version of America that will hopefully become reality someday. We're sorry the American Family Association/OneMillionMoms.com feels so negatively about our product, but they have every right to their opinion, just like we have the right to stand by ours. Kevin Keller will forever be a part of Riverdale, and he will live a happy, long life free of prejudice, hate and narrow-minded people."

Comments

Anonymous, 2012-03-09 10:22:25

I am very, very sorry that the boycott of JCP was stopped. I am not stopping mine! Values shared by this company are not values shared by me. To allow hedonist values;1. Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. 2. Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good. 3. Psychology The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.’ to be accepted and let’s face it---be shoved down our throats! It is Sodom & Gormorrah here all over. God help us.

Anonymous, 2012-03-09 14:05:31

Just because a person is Gay doesn’t mean that they can’t shop at a family oriented store. They still belong to a family, and have one of their own. To you Anonymous who is preaching about hedonist values...the gay community will not go away. You will have to learn to live with them as your neighbors and as people who still find joy in the same products you buy, no matter what store they come from. People are acting as ignorant as they did before the civil rights movement. Let’s compare: a group of ’misfits’, people who were of a different race, not a different species, fought for what was right, the right to be treated as a human. You people are trying to ban the gay community from having those same rights. Cut the crap and deal with it. I am a mother of two children, and proud to stand behind the Gay community in their fight for equality, and yes, I teach my children that no two people are alike, no two people have the same beliefs, and no two people should be treated differently because they themselves are ’different’. The world would be a much better place if everyone was just as tolerant.

Anonymous, 2012-03-09 16:40:00

Ignorance is not bliss, it is just plain stupid. Ellen is was of the finest role models there is.

Anonymous, 2012-03-09 18:49:00

When I heard about the notorious (and failed) OMM boycott the thought occured to me - how many of the OMM are closet gays that will continue to shop at JCP. Perhaps they will all have to don burqas in order to make it in and out undetected by the other gay OMM members shopping at JCP. One thing you can count on with the AFA, sunshine never reaches their outlook. John Farrell

Anonymous, 2012-03-09 20:12:31

what kind of values ...half of the employees are gay or lesbian so you prob wont shop or let any gay or lesbian take care of you and your fam...... pls take a moment at look at your family prob you will find some gays are you gonna reject them...... bunch of nonse with this omm..... get a life omm

Anonymous, 2012-03-09 22:39:51

Who cares what OMM says. They’re irrelevant. I shop where I want, when I want, and I don’t need a group to tell me what to do with my life just because something goes counter to their sensibilities. I don’t know...call me an individual, I guess.

Anonymous, 2012-03-10 08:49:55

So when does the one-person so-called Catholic "League condemn "OMM" for being named after a yoga chant? Namaste, bittches!

Anonymous, 2012-03-10 12:31:47

I will NOW go back to JCP,u go Ellen

Anonymous, 2012-03-10 19:01:20

The boycott at JCP was stopped because only ignorant people was involved , and don’t use God’s name on this , cause being Gay is not a sin , but being a HATTER is.....Take a chill pill and please live and let live.

Anonymous, 2012-03-10 19:07:56

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